TOO Complicated for words

[DMiller]

2014 Western Star, has DD13 in it twin to the unit I drive just one year Older. Engine would not crank so mekaniks at shop get it running and into shop as was COLD out, Starter bad. Swapped starter, still no crank, begin troubleshooting anew, no power at start terminal of starter so OBVIOUSLY a "bad Wire" or bad Ign Switch, had a switch changed and no change. Pulled a few harness loose checking pins for corrosion or wires for breaks, NADA. Finally figure they are out of their league and call the Frt Lnr/Star dealer who sends out a Tech. Reconnect EVERYTHING put on diagnostics computer and looks to Mekaniks, needs a PCM. Finds the one in the truck that directs the communications from the Engine ECM to the Truck Cab CCM and the other Control Modules, installed a "TEST" Module, started right up. Removed said module reinstalled old one, NO Start. Bad Module. This was two weeks ago and SUPPOSEDLY this PCM interacts with the ECM, a Cab Module, a Climate Control Module, Suspension Module(Lift Axles) and Brakes ABS Module.

Next point becomes infinitely less then humorous, NO Modules in stock, placed on Six Week Availability schedule, HOWEVER, SHOULD a truck under Warranty come in and need same module as the replacement arrives then the six week clock resets and the wait begins anew. MIRACULOUSLY the module arrived as was notified by parts department, hour later, it was GONE to a warranty job, Six Weeks out again.

 

[56wrench]

Well, that sucks. Things are sure going to hell everywhere

 

[Steve Frazier]

"Complicated" isn't the word I'd have chosen, "Unbelievable" seems more fitting!! I think I'd be sitting at the dealer when their UPS arrives!!

 

[Truck Shop]

I love it things just going to hell in a hand basket! I think some on here scoffed when I posted parts
problems a year ago. It's been this way for a while, and not going to change anytime soon.

 

[suladas]

I'd be telling dealer parts will be bought elsewhere if you cannot guarantee you'll get the next one that they get. I won't hesitate now to order parts from a out of town dealer instead of going to local one if their service is chit. I'd rather spend more time and money buying parts from a place that actually cares about service.

 

[Truck Shop]

But reality is DM that truck has a bunch of junk related to items not needed in a dump truck
Climate control? Suspension module? Power windows? We've had the PCM take a dump on
several of ours. But because of multiplex wiring and Sam modules controlling all this junk
that we don't need but buy anyway because we are told we need it to keep the driver comfy.

 

[Truck Shop]

It's not the way corporate works, dealers have to follow corporate on warranty.

 

[CM1995]

DM I feel your pain. We can't get RCP (reinforced concrete pipe) produced in AL for at least 6 months. It's thrown my local industry upside down to say the least.

 

[savman]

I tried to order a few yards of concrete this morning for a late afternoon pour.

First supplier (national company) was shutting the plant down at lunch because he had on drivers to staff the afternoon. Core group of drivers were knocked off at lunch for an early Sat morn pour.

Second supplier (regional outfit...maybe 20 batch plants) didn't have any cement to batch a pour with. I said what do you mean you don't have any cement; he said they were on allocation and had a truck parked at the cement terminal in the hopes they get allocated a load today. He was also a no go for Monday, unless they get lucky. He claimed there were 50 trucks at the terminal waiting to be loaded.

I heard Oldcastle (at least in Georgia) wasn't taking any more orders for 2022.

Tried to order some CMP and was told they weren't accepting new customers. Jeez.

 

[suladas]

It's not the way corporate works, dealers have to follow corporate on warranty.

Never heard of that, it seems like a really stupid policy, regardless if a dealer wants to help someone out they could make it happen, have to ask my buddy who's a foreman at Freightliner dealer if that's how it works there. Although WS dealer here is absolute trash I know they would do things like that and will hide things in paperwork like buying a truck but you're buying the dump box already on the truck directly from the suppler, not from WS, I wouldn't trust them to grease my bicycle chain.

 

[DMiller]

Pretty sad actually, boss is angry of it and called his salesman, explained the next two ordered will be cancelled if this does not change. The next two are the replacements for these two WS’s and have as yet not been completed at factory. He buys Pete’s and is having less issues there yet Cummins is getting more picky as to small fleets performing any warranty repairs at all while the closest dealer is 45 miles away.

He can buy two Pete quads tomorrow sitting on that dealer’s lot as the machines are X series Cummins the aero cab conventional cab model with automatics not stick transmissions and GVWR is lower than the Stars. He just is holding off for what he wants spec wise. KW here has zip in stock and no idea as to when can make a delivery.

Markets are changing rapidly in trucks, are many small Shops as this looking to cease operating as getting too hard.

As to concrete, mix companies we deliver to have had shingles out for several years, Drivers Needed, current pay rate is $26/hr to start at all of them. Big companies in STL are paying end dump operators in median haul routes $.61/mile or $24/hour distance halls are across the board and still no takers.

The Frtlnr dealer here is the Star dealer, cannot get techs to sign on, old hands are sticking around as are getting $35+/hour tooling bonus’s additional percs and yet are still slipping to retirements. The lot at all the dealers are loaded with warranty work as sh!t is what rules the road today and the manufacturers are getting stingy with warranty pay outs as their profits slide pushing these marvels of rolling crap.

The Star I drive has a rather nasty glitch, below 30F after start the machine the gauges go back to sleep. First out are tach/speedo, next all the engine indications left side dash followed by all the chassis indications right side. No Air or oil or fuel or alternator. Shut it off for fifteen minutes sometimes will come back, others require battery cables off for count of twenty. And at those conditions the gauges will still roll in and out as want to.
Last straw for me is lift axles, lead axle has kingpin play, has bushing play beyond realistic in trailing arms, mekaniks tried to order parts but Star cannot seem to identify the axles by chassis number The WS COMPANY installed to get right parts. The dampening shocks are junk where on the wrong bump or severe enough road crown that axle will start oscillating HARD, only way have been able to stop is to jam on brakes as just tripping lift has been found useless as will not dump air while it does this. Again the boss is not amused where is trying on his own to get the stuff to fix it, also unsuccessfully.

 

[Truck Shop]

Warranty-Warranty is paid for when buying new vehicle, extended warranty is also paid for. It's a contract.
Dealers can get into hot water under those conditions when not honoring warranty. If you walk into a parts
department and order a specific part that is on back order and the dealer all ready has one setting on the lot
waiting for that very part that rig is going to get it. The parts department screwed up, never should have
called that part was in-knowing full well they had one under warranty setting/waiting for the same thing.

I have already been down this road with the boss. He thinks because he owns all these Freightliners that
he should get preference over the parts and preference on getting repair done. No BOSS it's first come
first served. That's the fair way to handle it.

There are trucks setting all over the U.S. waiting on parts that are under warranty, many waiting for the
same parts. Even if the dealer initiates a critical order to pull one off the assembly line there is only a
50/50 chance you will receive it. I deal with this daily, I have been managing shops, buying parts for
years. I have been dealing with this scenario for over a year. Try taking care of a FLEET of tractors and
trailers that I deal with. I'm not messing with five or ten dump trucks, Hell I wish that's all I had.

I have to buy just the standard run of the mill parts with enough inventory to carry me 6 to 7 months
in advance.
A simple 30-00471-20 air filter for a Carrier Refrigeration unit has been on back order for 9 months.
I have to buy where ever what ever brand I can get a few at a time. If a dealer shows six in stock of
lets say a Baldwin brand, that dealer will only let go of three.

Not one person on here is going to enlighten me with their wisdom of running a shop or ordering parts.

 

[DMiller]

I agree TS, it is not gonna get any better any time soon, this is just that iceberg starting to roll and show how really HUGE it is that was hidden. Small shops as the one I run out of I suspect are doomed, too specialized as to product hauled and areas served where will end up with a fleet of broken awaiting parts that will not arrive soon enough to save the customer lines.

 

[Truck Shop]

Anyone who ever watched MASH! That's kind of what this is {this we can save, this one we
can't for now}. I run a MASH unit for trucks and I'm Hawkeye. It's that way everywhere.

 

[56wrench]

That ‘just in time’ philosophy of parts production supply and inventory has really come home to bite everyone in the ass all across the board no matter what business you’re in. It’s been brewing for years ever since the first bean counter hatched the idea to make his company’s bottom line better.

 

[Birken Vogt]

I remember complaining in the mid 1990s that JIT was going to be a problem but it took 25 years for the chickens to come home to roost.

I ran my own business on JIT until we had fires and public safety power shutdowns out here which gave us an early wake up call as to supply chain issues. So we were already used to pre ordering before the TP fiasco became a big thing.

Still there are certain filters I can't get or have to substitute. My local NAPA is very good and resourceful, many intelligent people have been there for decades.

 

[John C.]

Warranties are a funny thing that is full of profit in normal times. These are not normal times!
Normal times have warranties being the exclusive realm of the manufacturer. The dealer is only a caretaker who does the initial inspection, research and interpretation and submits that info to the factory for final judgement. In the late aughts and teens the warranties were so lucrative that the dealers sold a warranty package that wasn't with the manufacturer. The dealership administered the programs and took on the risks of the extended warranties. I've heard of customers who thought they signed paperwork for an extended factory warranty only to find out the dealership kept that money and now wants to fight any claims against it.
In my opinion an extended warranty is an insurance policy and should be regulated under state insurance rules. I might try to bring that up with the insurance commissioner next time I hear of the problem.

 

[suladas]

Warranty-Warranty is paid for when buying new vehicle, extended warranty is also paid for. It's a contract.
Dealers can get into hot water under those conditions when not honoring warranty. If you walk into a parts
department and order a specific part that is on back order and the dealer all ready has one setting on the lot
waiting for that very part that rig is going to get it. The parts department screwed up, never should have
called that part was in-knowing full well they had one under warranty setting/waiting for the same thing.

I have already been down this road with the boss. He thinks because he owns all these Freightliners that
he should get preference over the parts and preference on getting repair done. No BOSS it's first come
first served. That's the fair way to handle it.

There are trucks setting all over the U.S. waiting on parts that are under warranty, many waiting for the
same parts. Even if the dealer initiates a critical order to pull one off the assembly line there is only a
50/50 chance you will receive it. I deal with this daily, I have been managing shops, buying parts for
years. I have been dealing with this scenario for over a year. Try taking care of a FLEET of tractors and
trailers that I deal with. I'm not messing with five or ten dump trucks, Hell I wish that's all I had.

I have to buy just the standard run of the mill parts with enough inventory to carry me 6 to 7 months
in advance.
A simple 30-00471-20 air filter for a Carrier Refrigeration unit has been on back order for 9 months.
I have to buy where ever what ever brand I can get a few at a time. If a dealer shows six in stock of
lets say a Baldwin brand, that dealer will only let go of three.

Not one person on here is going to enlighten me with their wisdom of running a shop or ordering parts.

Absolutely it should not be in front of a truck already at the dealer waiting for a part, but it should be next in line, not behind another truck that might come in a month later and continually pushed back, that is the BS part. Dealer gives preferential treatment here, there is construction company with around 50 freightliners and the dealer caters to them huge, buddy hates it but told from higher up's they get it because of how many trucks they buy. I can't think of any dealer that doesn't give preferential treatment around here and most openly admit it. The John Deere dealer admitted it when trying to regain business from smaller guys like me realizing their mistake for ignoring them for years.

I don't necessarily blame them, if someone owns 100 trucks and turns them over every 4-5 years they absolutely should have priority on things compared to someone with one. To what extent the special treatment should be is the question.

 

[suladas]

That ‘just in time’ philosophy of parts production supply and inventory has really come home to bite everyone in the ass all across the board no matter what business you’re in. It’s been brewing for years ever since the first bean counter hatched the idea to make his company’s bottom line better.

The part that confuses me is why some have plenty of stock and others don't. It's seem to be only the truck side of things with nothing in stock. I have yet to experience any issue getting Volvo equipment or John Deere parts, if it's not in stock it's brought in next day for pennies. It does cost money not having stock if someone else does though, I will not wait if I can drive a few minutes and get the part right then.

 

[Truck Shop]

Absolutely it should not be in front of a truck already at the dealer waiting for a part, but it should be next in line, not behind another truck that might come in a month later and continually pushed back,

95% of the time the inventory order for 8 shows in that amount of time, taking the pressure off.